When it comes to Canadians鈥� reactions to the ongoing SNC-Lavalin scandal, it appears that opinions could not be more starkly different between the provinces of Quebec and Alberta.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spent much of his day Thursday in his home province, where SNC-Lavalin is headquartered. His message that his government was standing up for SNC-Lavalin jobs appears to have found some ground there, where the company is widely considered a 鈥渃rown jewel鈥� of Quebec鈥檚 economy.
鈥淚 think the economical imperatives here are very important,鈥� a man told 麻豆影视 on the streets of Papineau, the Montreal electoral district that has been held by Trudeau for more than a decade.
Yves Boisvery is a columnist with the Montreal digital newspaper La Presse.
鈥淚n Quebec, it is more seen as a way to find a solution to save an important strategic company,鈥� Boisvery told 麻豆影视.
SNC-Lavalin employs roughly 9,000 people in Canada, and 3,400 of those jobs are in Quebec.
鈥淭here were many and broad conversations about the importance of defending jobs, not just in Quebec but right across the country,鈥� Trudeau told reporters from Quebec on Thursday.
But in the aftermath of former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould鈥檚 explosive testimony in Parliament Wednesday, the tone in some editorials has begun to shift.
In the newspaper Le Journal de Montreal, for example, Thursday that Trudeau isn鈥檛 trying to save jobs so much as shore up support for this year鈥檚 federal election.
THE VIEW FROM ALBERTA
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley appeared before the Senate in Ottawa Thursday to give her take on Bill C-69, which would change how energy projects -- such as pipelines -- are assessed.
鈥淚 know that right now, Ottawa is a little consumed with the SNC-Lavalin affair,鈥� Notley said from the capital. 鈥淏ut I need you to know that when Alberta's energy industry is hurting, the whole country pays a price.鈥�
Notley, however, deflected any suggestion that Ottawa is playing favourites with Quebec.
鈥淚 don't want to pit the two against each other,鈥� she said.
Some 3,000 kilometres, many Albertans, however, do feel like favouritism is at play at a time when their economy is struggling amid low oil prices.
鈥淎lberta is getting short shifted,鈥� one man told 麻豆影视 on Thursday from a Calgary coffee shop.
Another said that the duelling crises have left him resigned and angry.
鈥淩esignation, like there's nothing you can do about it,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd anger that the central eastern culture could care less, quite frankly.鈥�
Lori Williams, a political scientist with Calgary鈥檚 Mount Royal University, says that many in Alberta feel that the system is inherently unfair.
鈥淲e give into equalization (payments), Quebec receives from equalization,鈥� she told 麻豆影视. 鈥淲e have concerns about jobs and Quebec jobs seem to count more.鈥�
